Introduction
Grade: 12
Subject: English
Term: 1
Romeo and Juliet at a Glance
In William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, a long feud between the Montague and Capulet families disrupts the city of Verona and causes tragic results for Romeo and Juliet. Revenge, love, and a secret marriage force the young star-crossed lovers to grow up quickly — and fate causes them to commit suicide in despair. Contrast and conflict are running themes throughout Shakespeare's play, Romeo and Juliet — one of the Bard's most popular romantic tragedies.
Vocabulary for Romeo and Juliet
Order of Words
Sometimes the Elizabethans put their words in a different order from the order we use today.
For example:
Elizabethan: ‘Hold me not...’ (Act 1, Scene 1, line 68)
Modern: ‘Do not hold me.’ (Notice addition of ‘do’ and position of ‘not’ and verb ‘hold’, swapped around.)
Elizabethan: ‘Why call you for a sword?’ (Act 1, Scene 1, l.63)
Modern: ‘Why are you calling for a sword?’ (Notice addition of ‘are’ and ‘you’ and ‘calling’ swapped around.)
Elizabethan: ‘...tell me not ...’ (Act 1, Scene 1, l.161)
Modern: ‘Do not tell me.’
Task
Your task is to answer the comprehension questions regarding Act I Scene I of Romeo & Juliet.
You can watch the video clip to assist you.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDYd7n9FABw
The Noval can be found here:
http://www.pubwire.com/DownloadDocs/PDFiles/SHAKESPR/TRAGEDY/RMEOJLET.PDF
Process
Activity 1
Read the extract and then answer the questions below.
[Prince Escalus demands peace on the streets.]
PRINCE ESCALUS
Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace,
Profaners of this neighbour-stained steel,—
Will they not hear? What, ho! you men, you beasts,
That quench the fire of your pernicious rage
With purple fountains issuing from your veins,
On pain of torture, from those bloody hands
Throw your mistemper’d weapons to the ground,
And hear the sentence of your moved prince.
Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word,
By thee, old Capulet, and Montague,
Have thrice disturb’d the quiet of our streets,
And made Verona’s ancient citizens Cast by their grave beseeming ornaments,
To wield old partisans, in hands as old,
Canker’d with peace, to part your canker’d hate:
Questions:
1. What does the extract tell us about how Verona is governed at the time the action of the play is set? (3)
2. Where is Verona? (1)
3. What indication is there in the passage that
3.1. violent feelings have been bubbling just beneath the surface and need very little to boil over. (2)
3.2. hardly anyone is neutral? (2)
4. What does the Prince mean by the words
a) cankered with peace? (1)
b) cankered with hate? (1)
5. What modern word is derived from “cankered” and how are the two words similar in meaning? (2)
TOTAL [12]
Evaluation
Your comprehension will be evaluated out of 12 marks.
RATING CODE DESCRIPTION OF COMPETENCE PERCENTAGE
7: Outstanding achievement 80 – 100
6: Meritorious achievement 70 – 79
5: Substantial achievement 60 – 69
4: Adequate achievement 50 – 59
3: Moderate achievement 40 – 49
2: Elementary achievement 30 – 39
1: Not achieved 0 – 29
Conclusion
Romeo & Juliet Act I Scene I main points:
The Montague-Capulet feud is immediately established as a social force in Verona.
Law and honor introduced as additional social forces at play in Verona.
The Montague-Capulet feud is as passionate among the nobles as among the servants. Tybalt established as a hothead.
As the only government official in the play, Prince Escalus comes to symbolize the law.
Love makes Romeo a loner–out of the social world. Love also makes Romeo frequent the pre-dawn darkness. Though his family doesn't know why Romeo's sad, the play gives a clue through a bad pun. Sycamore = sick amour (or "sick love").
Romeo's clichéd talk of love mimics Petrarchan poems about unrequited love. Romeo isn't actually in love—he's trying to be an unrequited lover.
The audience knows Romeo is wrong: the play's title makes it clear Juliet is his fate.
Romeo And Juliet, Scene 1
Teacher Page
Activity 1
Memo
1. The Prince is the ruler in Verona
– his word is the law.
He speaks with authority and has to be obeyed. 3
2. Italy
3.1. Three street fights had already occurred as a result of a carelessly spoken word.
They also carry weapons.
3.2. The Prince addresses both Capulet and Montague as heads of their households.
Even old citizens are dragged into the fighting.
4 a) The swords of the older citizens were at first lying idly and becoming corrupted by rust.
4 b) These swords were picked up in fighting and are now corrupted by hatred.
5. Cancer. Both “cankered” and ‘cancer’ indicate that something is being destroyed.
TOTAL [12]